Yankee Pitcher Was Flying in Difficult Area

The area where Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle was flying was a difficult and somewhat dangerous area for low-time pilots:

The private plane owned by the New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle that crashed yesterday into a Manhattan high-rise, killing him and his flight instructor, was flying in a place where many recreational pilots fear to venture.

The northern end of the airspace over the East River is a treacherous, narrow corridor often filled with helicopters ferrying tourists, business people and traffic reporters along the edge of Manhattan. Small planes like Mr. Lidle’s are allowed to fly through the area at low altitude, but several pilots said they did not dare because it could be crowded.

The spot where Mr. Lidle’s plane, a single-engine Cirrus SR20, struck the apartment building on the Upper East Side is near the end of the “uncontrolled” corridor at the edge of the airspace governed by La Guardia Airport. Inside that corridor, small planes and helicopters can fly below 1,100 feet without getting clearance from air-traffic controllers. Using what are known as visual flight rules, or V.F.R., they assume responsibility for watching out for other aircraft and structures and avoiding them.

As I watched the news coverage, I predicted to my wife that the local politicians would probably start demanding an end to recreational flights over Manhatten. It didn't take long:

As a result of the crash, federal aviation officials immediately ordered that all planes flying below 1,500 feet over New York City be under the authorization of air traffic control. Gov. George E. Pataki called for that temporary restriction to remain in place indefinitely.

VFR (Visual Flight Rules) corridors around major airports are not that uncommon. When I was flying I used to cross through the LAX corridor from time to time. It was approximately the width of the airport (from the 405 to the beach) and from 2,000 to 5,000 feet. You could pass through that airspace directly over LAX without getting permission from the tower, and thus avoid all the controlled airspace around the airport. LAX flights weren't routed through that area, though you really had to be careful because a lot of coastal traffic was funneled into that relatively small space and if you weren't careful, you could end up occupying the same space as somebody else.

My guess is that uncontrolled flight around Manhattan will be a thing of the past, despite the fact that accidents have been very few. Overreaction by officials is the common result of one of these high profile accidents.